Proposed Changes to Service Charges Survey

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Proposed Changes to Service Charges - Have Your Say

If you are housing tenant of Brentwood Borough Council, you may pay a service charge, particularly where you reside in a block of flats. The service charge covers services such as: 

  • Communal lighting and electricity 

  • Bin hire and extra waste collections (beyond the weekly one covered by council tax) 

  • Water and other shared services 

For a number of years, service charges have increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1%. As a result, service charges have not kept up with the actual rising costs of providing these services. 

Because of this, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) - which is funded by rent paid by council tenants -hasn’t been able to fully cover the cost of these services. This limits how much the council can invest in maintaining and improving council tenant homes and estates. 

What changes are we considering?

We’re proposing to change the way we decide service charges by moving to an actual cost model. This means as a council tenant you would pay the real cost of each service you receive. Costs would be calculated based on the actual costs incurred to the council in the previous year. For example, charges from April 2026 would be based on actual costs from April 2024 to March 2025. 

Services included in this consultation 

This consultation covers service charges for the following services:

  • Bin Hire & Extra Collections: Each home gets one weekly bin collection through Council Tax. However, some blocks need extra bins and collections due to high waste levels. This helps prevent overflowing bins and pests. 

  • Communal Gas: Covers heating in shared areas like hallways, lounges, or community rooms. 

  • Communal Electricity: Covers lighting in communal areas and door entry systems. 

  • Water: For shared water use in gardens or communal areas. 

Not all blocks of flats receive these services and service charges would only apply where a tenant receives this service.

Benefit Support 

If you receive full Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, these charges will be covered. If you get partial support, you may need to pay part of the cost. 

We Want Your Feedback 
We would like to understand your thoughts and feelings on these proposals. The feedback you provide will be used to inform future decisions on this matter.

Proposed Changes to Service Charges - Have Your Say

If you are housing tenant of Brentwood Borough Council, you may pay a service charge, particularly where you reside in a block of flats. The service charge covers services such as: 

  • Communal lighting and electricity 

  • Bin hire and extra waste collections (beyond the weekly one covered by council tax) 

  • Water and other shared services 

For a number of years, service charges have increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1%. As a result, service charges have not kept up with the actual rising costs of providing these services. 

Because of this, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) - which is funded by rent paid by council tenants -hasn’t been able to fully cover the cost of these services. This limits how much the council can invest in maintaining and improving council tenant homes and estates. 

What changes are we considering?

We’re proposing to change the way we decide service charges by moving to an actual cost model. This means as a council tenant you would pay the real cost of each service you receive. Costs would be calculated based on the actual costs incurred to the council in the previous year. For example, charges from April 2026 would be based on actual costs from April 2024 to March 2025. 

Services included in this consultation 

This consultation covers service charges for the following services:

  • Bin Hire & Extra Collections: Each home gets one weekly bin collection through Council Tax. However, some blocks need extra bins and collections due to high waste levels. This helps prevent overflowing bins and pests. 

  • Communal Gas: Covers heating in shared areas like hallways, lounges, or community rooms. 

  • Communal Electricity: Covers lighting in communal areas and door entry systems. 

  • Water: For shared water use in gardens or communal areas. 

Not all blocks of flats receive these services and service charges would only apply where a tenant receives this service.

Benefit Support 

If you receive full Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, these charges will be covered. If you get partial support, you may need to pay part of the cost. 

We Want Your Feedback 
We would like to understand your thoughts and feelings on these proposals. The feedback you provide will be used to inform future decisions on this matter.

  • Service Charge Actuals Survey

    Introduction 

     As a resident of Brentwood Borough Council, you may already pay a service charge particularly where you reside in a block of flats. 

    The service charges include but are not limited to communal lighting, communal electric, bin hire and additional collections (over and above the standard once weekly collection which is funded by council tax contributions), water etc. 

    For several years this amount has been increased by Consumer Price Index +1% in line with rent increases. However, this is generally much lower than the amount increased nationally for these services. 

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Page last updated: 01 Oct 2025, 08:39 AM